Ambient Jam – an artistic adventure that includes adults and young people who have profound and multiple disabilities as artists, performers and participants.

Ambient Jam opens to all with a new collaboration between the Collective and Roland Carline creating a playful, immersive multi-sensory performance for differently-abled people

Entelechy Arts’ Ambient Jam Collective is working in collaboration with artist Roland Carline RA, guided by Creative Director Rebecca Swift at Goldsmiths Centre for Contemporary Art (CCA). The result is a series of inclusive, live, contemporary performance art pieces that artists, members and the general public are invited to be part of.

Ambient Jam is a 30-year old unique dance and music improvisation programme arising from long term collaborations with adults and young people who have profound and multiple disabilities.

Working with Goldsmith CCA and contemporary performance artist Roland Carline, Entelechy Arts is giving the public access to be part of and experience Ambient Jam (AJ). This new collaboration is part of a year-long residency within the art gallery, creating a new co-designed space for immersive durational performance.

Roland Carline says: “During our last run of performances at CCA we talked a lot about being seen. People with profound and multiple learning difficulties spend a lot of time out of public view because so much of public life is inaccessible. The more bridges that are made the better, it increases awareness of the work and helps it to be seen by more people. AJ Collective’s practice has a rich 30 year history. It’s exciting to see their work in the context of contemporary performance art and see how it might take things in new directions.”

Carline was in residence with Ambient Jam for six months developing his embodied research, allowing himself to be changed by Ambient jam sessions while drawing on ideas from the members. Reflecting on key themes of the ‘Jam’, Carline has created an environment with costumes and objects that connects the Ambient Jam Collective with the art gallery space at CCA.

Roland Carline says: “What I find radical and refreshing about working with AJ Collective is that in the sessions I am not being asked to change who I am that day. If I’m bored, tired or angry I’m just being asked to listen to myself and others, be present and respond intuitively with integrity and honesty. I am trying hard to make time for recovery at the moment. It’s in the air, there is public recovery and personal recovery. We had an amazing session at CCA where we did hardly anything at all, so to question an expectation of content or productivity and do nothing feels important at the moment.”

Rebecca Swift Creative Director, Entelechy Arts and founder member of Ambient Jam said: “Ambient Jam is a fulcrum that draws together different energies, stories and people, who would not normally connect, with the intention of exploring how we can be together and what the emergent story is when we are. The collaboration with Roland Carline is one of equal exchange between him, our artists, musicians, members and volunteers, and the ensemble. Roland has allowed himself to undergo a journey and be changed by everyone and become part of the Collective. In turn, he has allowed everyone’s identities and emerging stories within the jam, to inform sensory sculptural ideas that permeate the immersive landscape, enabling the jams playground feel. As an artist, he brings with him a tremendous celebration of the ordinary. He responds with a vital sense of mischief to what the improvisation is about in terms of its playfulness, the surreal and its jester qualities. Working with Goldsmiths CCA is an amazing opportunity and also nourishment for the ensemble to work with an artist who not only ‘gets it’, but also wants to reflect on what is already happening, relishing the chance to play and include everyone. Ambient Jam is a coalescence of everyone’s needs and acknowledging this creates equity.”

At an Ambient Jam session, people can stay as long as they like and leave when they want to. The Collective suggest taking the time to acclimatise even simply sitting with eyes closed and it is even OK to fall asleep. They welcome using the ambience of the improvisation to rest and decompress and taking part by improvising through vocalisation, stillness, movement, and drawing. People can choose where they go, watch from a distance and move around. Ambient jam artists will be present to guide people through the improvised experience.

Ambient Jam events are open and accessible to people of any age from 0 to over 100 and to disabled people and those with PMLD. All the events are wheelchair accessible.

For more information and to book a free place please visit the Entelechy Arts website.